Le Lapin en fleur
by Anjelle
Summary: Life as a god can quickly devolve into a cycle of monotony without the right entertainment. Fortunately for Sabo his boredom is over with the arrival of a healer named Law and the wyvern at his side. But watching from afar is never any fun, and even though he swore not to get involved with mortals he soon wonders how a human learned magic in the first place. Law is... an enigma.
1. Chapter 1

**HELLO FRIENDS! This story was a real treat to work on, and it took FOREVER to finish. Yep, it's done, but I'll be posting the chapters every few weeks and editing them in between. I'm still a bit iffy on the last 2 chapters, so this'll give me more time to perfect that. Anyway this is a fantasy AU because you can never have enough of those, and I really hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Most often when one of my kind comes into being it's with a purpose, coded instructions of behaviours and abilities woven through us to give us life. Mother has a plan that we're to carry out, and to follow that purpose is the most fulfilling thing one can ever hope to experience. It sounds lovely, I'm sure it is. I wish I knew.

Not all of us are created equally. 'Happy accidents', I suppose you could say. Life is very different for those of us that start out with nothing. My creation was followed shortly by disorientating confusion strong enough to consume all thought, and I found myself aimlessly wandering my land as I tried to conjure up a reason or _desire_ — _something_ to drive me moving forward. But when nothing came I was left staring up at the sky, silently questioning just what I was doing.

My ability matched my land, I suppose: a barren snowtop mountain stretching out towards the clouds, reaching to the sky—to _her_. It brought me some strange form of comfort that to this day I cannot fully wrap my head around. Nevertheless I liked my home, despite the isolation surrounding it. And isolation was only partially accurate, really; there were animals, wintry forests spreading out into the horizon, stretching far as I could see from my snowy mountain peak. But there were no higher beings, none that I could talk with or listen to. At the time this lack of social contact brought me nothing more than boredom… It's hard to long for something you've never known.

I never resented Mother. Even in my confusion I was grateful—maybe a tad envious, even, of how she shaped the world. She was… awe-inspiring. She stretched across the land and touched the world in ways that I never could. But I wished that I could ask her just what I should do. It would come with time—that was what kept me content all those years atop that cold mountaintop.

A blurred mass of sunrises and sunsets found something new coming to my mountain one day—travellers. At least, I _thought_ they were travellers. Having never seen any I couldn't really be sure. Dragons, they were—massive beasts with wings that darkened the sky. They flew in from the east and dove within the mountain caverns in search of warmth. It was remarkable, how they found their way inside almost instantly, not even bothering to search the perimeter of rock and ice. They were something new—something _exciting_ —and I wasn't about to ignore it. I watched from out of sight as their massive forms huddled around an open fire, sharing stories until one by one they each fell asleep.

There were more travellers. Not often, not many, but as time flowed on they would stop through, all manner of beasts and birds, those of elven descent. My favourite were the humans. They weren't impressive in brawn or skill, and their magic was limited if present at all, but they were warm and kind, they passed with families and friends. And they _stayed_.

But these settlements had life cycles as all things mortals do, and inevitably they would meet that same end. I watched them come, and I watched them go, just like the rest. But there I was, there I remained, unchanged in the sands of time.

The problem with forever is that it does not meet that end. It just keeps going and going and no matter how exhausted you are, _you cannot stop_. And sometimes… it gets to be too much.

Even for a god, 'forever' can be quite the burden.

* * *

The one thing that can always break a routine is noise. I'm not sure _why_ this is, but I've found it true time and time again. My evenings had fallen into a dull pattern of staring at the sky from my mountain's peak, watching as the colours of the setting sun cascaded across the clouds and lit the snow in a golden inferno. Everything just seemed to glow and heat despite the ever-frigid air in a way that put me so far at peace that when I felt the tingle of a foreign presence I safely ignored it, almost to the point of not even grasping that I'd felt it at all. Wasting the days away had been the norm for me, but there were certain instances—like this—where I just… didn't really mind, I guess.

But noise broke me out of that peace-induced daze. Howling winds swept the recently-fallen layer of powdered snow off the ground into a swirling dance reflecting the fading yellow light, and as relaxing an image as it was I started to come out of my thoughtlessness, now feeling the chill. Cold was… a strange, foreign thing for me. I always felt it, of course, but not fully. It didn't… bother me the way it would another creature. Now, though… Well, after over two centuries on my own I'd come to know its unpleasantries _quite_ intimately. It was enough of a distraction to soon find myself reminded of that tingle, the alarm of a foreign presence in my lands.

I rose to my feet in a sudden flurry of snow and ice and focused on the sensation, a bubbling surge of energy making its way through my being at the thought of another traveller finally stopping in. No one had passed through in many years, and it'd been so long that I honestly worried I would never have another visitor. But there they were—I could feel their presence shifting through the dense forestry near the mountain—and a slow grin stretched across my face. I closed my eyes, focused on the sensation far below the mountaintop, and soon I could hear the crunch of snow as heavy steps drudged through the forest of pines. It was a two-legged creature… a human, I soon realised, and my excitement only grew. My search continued and with time I made out dark skin and hair, a heavy fur coat—and before I could make out the rest my eyes shot open. They entered the mountain.

At the time of this impromptu visit I happened not to be in the same plain as my guest. Otherworld made it easier to pass the time alone. It acted as a spiritual plain for the gods, one that existed beyond the laws of time. I liked it there. It was easier to just project the world around me and to skim through the blending days than to go through them one by one on Earth. I figured I could just… observe from where I was. I wouldn't risk scaring away the stranger, and I could see everything from right where I was, and…

 _...Bloody hell._

With a groan the projection faded and with it the cold. Soon I was making my way through the Otherworld entrance and slipping back into the mortal plain, suddenly hit with the _real_ frost and winds so common to my lands, harsher than what the dull echo of the projection allowed me to feel. _That_ had been no more than an imitation; _this_ was unabashed reality. For a moment I considered wiping away the effects of the cold from my body but thought better of it. As _lovely_ as that would have been, well…

I had to conserve power.

Shivering against the chill, I pressed on towards the mountain and entered one of the open caverns at its base, the same I'd seen the human enter not long before. My steps were quiet and cautious as a precaution against any unwanted reactions, should they not like my company for example, and I had to resist the urge to cloak myself, at least for now. I could feel their presence above and started up the aged stairs of carved stone, my breaths echoing through the hollow path. The higher I got the more I could scent a curious blend of magic and blood permeating the air. That was… odd. _Very_ odd. It was coming from the traveller, wasn't it? But from what I knew humans didn't use magic. They _couldn't_.

My curiosity only had me climbing faster, an eagerness to my step that hadn't been present in over two hundred years. By the time I reached the floor that I sensed the stranger on, that dull stench from earlier had grown revoltingly powerful—both the blood and the magic. It became so overbearing that I cloaked myself on instinct, a shudder of caution running through me. Was that human… hurt, then? Were they trying to heal with magic?

I followed the presence deeper into the ruins, down an age-worn hall until I came to a large, open room. My first instinct was to press flush against the wall, my back chilled by the cold rock as I stood against it, eyes falling over a dark figure hunched on the ground. A large, thick cloak was draped around their shoulders, brown spots patterned around the base and sleeves and a fur-trimmed hood lying flat across their back. They faced opposite me and I swallowed, sliding along the wall until I could make out their features. It was a human man, by the look of it. Detailed white markings stood stark against his skin wherever it was visible, from his neck and what I could make out of his chest to his… fingertips…

My eyes followed those fingertips to a small, limp figure on the ground, and I felt an immediate onslaught of dread. The body was reptilian, young, and from the wings, bipedal structure and barbed tail I could only guess 'wyvern' as the human hunched further. The scent of blood was coming from the child, but I only needed to see the raw skin along the left side of the wyvern's body to know. The cuts were deep and I couldn't _imagine_ how that'd happened, unless…

Humans.

Worry curled in my gut and I tensed, watching the man carefully. If he tried anything, I would…

But he didn't. As he pressed a hand to the wyvern's chest I could feel a rush of energy pass from him to his young charge, and within minutes the bleeding slowed to a crawl before stopping altogether. _Magic?_ Moreover, _healing_ magic? For a human that was… well, that was just unheard of. Humans couldn't—

The man tossed aside his cloak and rolled up his sleeves, and I could make out the marks previously obstructed by his clothes. They crept up his arm, leaving very little skin untouched, and the longer I looked the more I felt the familiar symbols click in my head: spell circles, enchanted lettering. They were magic amplifiers, though I'd never seen any quite like those… My two hundred years cut off from human society was starting to show. I found the whole thing fascinating, and I almost wanted to go over there and ask him about it, but…

Looking at the small one, I realised there were more important things to worry about.

The human emptied his luggage and began suturing the deepest wounds before carefully binding them, and in time the smell of blood and magic began to fade. I found that curious, though—that he would use magic to stop the bleeding and not to heal the wound altogether. Were his abilities too limited? _I could help_ , I thought. But despite the urge I held still, took a deep breath and relaxed. _Conserve power_. I repeated those words like a mantra in my mind, my caution outweighing my concern. It would be alright. The human was fixing things.

He repacked his supplies before throwing his cloak around the child, and it was then that my eyes wandered to the few layers of cloth lying beneath the patient. It was a comforting sight. The days that I recalled showed humans as… less than kind towards that species in particular. It wasn't just them, but others—dragons especially. They considered wyverns their 'lesser' counterparts, unable to speak or use magic, small and lacking in many of the skills that made dragons so revered. In all honesty, though… this was my first time meeting one in person. I'd heard they liked cold climates but up until then none had passed through my mountain, and I just had to wonder where on Earth this human found one. Moreover, how he got a youth away from its flight…

A soft moan broke my thoughts as the small bundle stirred, ending with a broken whine as the wyvern came to fully realise their pain. I could only hazard a guess by the dark, vivid colours that they were male. His scales were this bright, intense red that stood stark against the dull stone of the caverns. I slid down the wall and lowered onto the floor to watch as the boy roused into wakefulness and peered blearily around the room.

The moment his eyes caught on the human his head shot up. Immediately he regretted this as the movement tugged at his injuries, a pained whine escaping as he carefully lowered himself back onto his side.

The human snorted, setting out some raw meat that he had packed away somewhere in his luggage, watching with amusement as his young charge sniffed at it, unsure of whether or not it was safe. For his part the man looked exhausted, and I knew that travelling through my lands was no easy task for a mortal, let alone one with such a heavy, albeit small, burden to carry through.

Eventually the wyvern's hunger outlasted his pain and he crawled on his stomach to the food, almost as though he was stalking it. He looked to be around the age to do that, small in size but able to move well enough on his own. The pathetically small wings were sign enough that he still needed a guardian, though, and I once again found myself wondering just where his flight had gone off to.

"Try not to move about much," a smooth voice called, a pleasing break to the near-silence that had fallen when I entered the room. "If you break your stitches I won't fix them."

I glared dully at the human, though this of course went unnoticed. What kind of healer would say that? The ones that existed in the human town before hadn't been so… _cold_ towards their patients. Their positions meant that they were held in high regard, and they treated their injured with the utmost respect in return. Perhaps I was old-fashioned? Had that changed over time, or was this man just odd?

Soon the nestling was eating and my thoughts were left forgotten, a satisfied look on my face. He seemed to have energy, at least.

"Do you have a name?" the human questioned, drumming his nails against the rock absently as he watched. The frown on his face seemed only to deepen at the silence he received, but if he was expecting a verbal answer he was out of luck; wyvern couldn't speak in that form. "You can call me Law."

Perhaps he hoped that giving his own name first would help motivate the child to respond. If he did then he must have been _sorely_ disappointed, because all that boy seemed interested in was stuffing his face, the human presence not even phasing him. Though his efforts were for naught, as I watched the pair I repeated that name in a hushed whisper, inaudible beneath the howling winds rushing past the cavern entrances. Law. Law the healer. Law the traveller.

And as I whispered I couldn't help but wonder just how long their 'village' would last.

* * *

-oOo-

* * *

What I found curious about humans was just how unpredictable they could be, and how vague their intentions were. Even a lesser god like myself had trouble deciphering just what their motivations were and they never failed to leave me both confused and intrigued. I was expecting a short stay of perhaps a few weeks—to allow the boy to heal, yeah?—not a long-term visit spanning a year and counting. By that point I'd mostly given up the thought of them leaving. Law—or 'Trafalgar', as the boy called him whenever they fought, as though using his last name somehow showed his anger—had fixed up some of the upper caverns that were falling apart and unstable. He worked on it daily when his charge went to bed… Ah, the boy's name was Kidd. Well, it wasn't really Kidd, but after a few days without an answer Law's patience grew thin and he chose that name at random, even against the wyvern's protesting growls. Kidd, after biting him a few times, eventually gave up. It didn't seem worth the effort, I suppose.

A part of me was reaching the point where I wanted to reveal. There were many reasons why I knew that I shouldn't, most centering around the fact that gods were feared and the pair may have left if they found out what I was, but… could I be blamed? Watching day in and day out from Otherworld gets tiresome after a while, and I was maybe just a bit jealous of their company. Kidd just recently began learning how to shift forms, Law had been making… potions, or something of the sort, in what seemed to be a lab he'd build, and I was… there, watching. Static.

It was only natural that I get curious, right? Somehow, someway, it was inevitable that I would slip through the rift and join them. So one day I found myself in the mortal realm, sitting in the snow at the base of the mountain and peering into one of the caverns. My form was inconspicuous, I'd think—arctic hares were quite commonplace in those lands—and as much as I would have preferred the body of something a little sturdier… that was the form my humans had given me. And, well… it wasn't so bad. At least it brought back a lot of memories; I'd always been weak to nostalgia.

Half an hour passed and I found myself nestled in a little nook I found by the main entrance to the caverns, waiting. And waiting. And for all that I was a patient god I did have my limits and I'd reached them decades ago. But my ears twitched at the distant sound of crunching snow and I sat patiently in a loaf by the entrance, soon spotting a familiar spotted cloak pushing through the white-laden shrubbery. This was it. This would be our first meeting, and I had so many things I wanted to do and say and I didn't even know if I was ready to change forms or—

I was so distracted by my own racing thoughts that I failed to notice the patter of deft footsteps bouncing off the cavern walls before I was caught with my neck between strong jaws. A loud, panicked squeal escaped me and I didn't know whether to squirm or go limp as I was lifted into the air in a choking grip. Kidd—I knew it was Kidd, and I knew that he stayed home while Law left for town earlier but, damn it, I didn't think. No sooner than he picked me up in that death grip did he bound towards the human, presenting his catch proudly as he sat at Law's feet.

Law let out a snicker, plucking me from Kidd's jaws before he had a chance to suffocate me and holding me up for close inspection. "What's this?"

Disoriented and slightly panicked—shocked stiff when I realised that Law was the one holding me—I must have missed the moment Kidd shifted into his half form. Tiny, pathetic-looking wings fluttered excitedly in the place of arms and I managed to catch a glimpse of a devilish grin in my panic. "Dinner!" I paled. Oh no. Ooooh no no no, they wouldn't. "Can we eat it? I wanna."

Law gave me a dull, considering glance, to which I responded with the largest, saddest pleading eyes I could muster, and then he grinned. And I was beginning to wonder why I ever wanted to meet this man in the first place. "I don't see why not."

Evil, evil man.

Kidd let out some indistinguishable noise of excitement and we started up the long flight of stairs to the upper levels—some of us more willing than others. I could be thankful they were waiting to kill me, I supposed… As much as I would've just come back if they did kill and eat me, I still felt the pain. It was… horrid. I'd felt it before, and… I'd rather avoid another taste of death.

"You left my lab alone, I hope." Law's voice was firm, echoing through the halls, and the underlying tone warned against any trouble his young charge may have gotten into while he was away.

"Yeah, yeah," Kidd grumbled, eyes cast aversively to the side. He had this way of pouting that made it look like he was in a perpetual state of anger and disgust, but by then both Law and I could see right through it. I may have not interacted with them personally, but… I observed. That was all I did, really—all that I could do—and I liked to think that I knew a thing or two about them by that point. "Not like there's anythin' interesting in there, anyway."

Law let out a soft snicker and I turned to watch our path, noticing the kitchen at the end of the long hall we'd been trudging through for the past few minutes. Great. Bloody great. My curious trip into the mortal realm was going to end with a human and a wyvern making me their evening snack. "Not for you, no. But it can be dangerous."

"Not for—hey! Stop that!" The boy glared daggers up at his companion while a webbed wing rubbed at his forehead where he'd been flicked, his unimpressed expression telling volumes of his internal conflict—whether to let the reprimand slide with a warning or to bite the human's hand off. Apparently the title of 'food-giver' was a compelling enough argument to save Law the hassle of trying to heal his own wound, as Kidd settled on little more than a menacing gaze.

Law, however, went unaffected. Perhaps after so long he was used to being on the receiving end of such dark looks but a part of me liked to think that he just didn't care. From the very start he'd been a strangely open and accepting human, and any perceived threat just seemed to roll off of him without effect. He was… a bit admirable, maybe? For a human, I mean.

Soon my absent thoughts returned to focus and I let out another panicked squeal as they stepped inside the kitchen. I could feel my heart pounding inside my chest and before they could let out another word my head snapped around and I bit hard into Law's palm. A strangled noise escaped him and instantly his grip on me failed, sending me sprawling onto the countertop. I wasted no time in hopping onto the floor and scrambling out of the room as fast as my legs could carry me, and the very moment I was out of sight I discarded my physical form and hurried back to the safety of Otherworld. Their half-hearted search didn't really interest me at that point and I paid little mind as they went out to hunt for something else—though I did catch Kidd moaning on about how they should have killed me right away, and that if they had they wouldn't be having this problem. Which was very true, and I found it curious when Law never gave an excuse towards why he'd bothered to wait at all.

* * *

I may have been a god but I was never one to learn from past mistakes as hardly a week later found me within the walls of the mountain corridors, corporeal in the familiar form of an arctic hare once more as I made my way around in solitude. The pair had stepped out and I overheard that they needed to stop into town to restock on medical supplies and potion ingredients. That wasn't much of a surprise; for all that he was agile Kidd was a very accident-prone boy, and it was rare to find him going longer than two days without getting hurt in some way or another. Law's magic didn't appear to be all that advanced, so while he could seal wounds and lessen the severity of illness he was far from all-powerful. It was fortunate that he was a trained doctor, as well. I'd caught him pondering whether or not to get a new tattoo to cover the empty spot on his back as a way of advancing his skills. It was a bit sweet, I think—almost like a sign of his worry for the child he'd taken responsibility for. For all that he could be horrid, he was surprisingly caring. Not fatherly, really, but… quite a respectable guardian.

My heart swelled with warmth as I made my way through the halls and marvelled at all of the repairs Law had made over the past thirteen-or-so months. Seeing them from Otherworld was one thing, but being there, right in front of it, cemented all of the hard work I'd seen put into this place since the human's arrival. I was grateful. So, so grateful…

All of that was cut short when I heard echoes of footsteps coming up from the stairwell behind me and I froze in place—bloody hell I'd been so distracted by my own reminiscent thoughts that I hadn't even noticed. It took a moment for me to calm and begin to shed the form but by the time I was ready the two had rounded the corner and caught sight of me, and all I could think was to stop what I was doing before they saw me disappear. Even after they had dwelled within my mountain so long I hadn't a clue how they would react if faced with a god. I had seen many, many creatures come through that mountain and not all took kindly to the thought. I didn't want them to leave, so above all else my goal in that moment was to keep still.

At the same time I really did not want to feel the pain of mortal death.

Kidd seemed to notice me first, yellow eyes locked on me across the dimly-lit hall, and the widest of grins stretched across my face. The moment I tried to run he bounded towards me, narrowly missing me as I darted past, down the hall towards the stairs—

Law didn't seem to require much effort to stop me, pinning me down with the butt of his staff as I ran by, staring down with mild interest. I wanted so much to just disappear and save myself the agony of what was to come, especially as Kidd came to crouch beside my still form, sniffing me curiously.

The boy blinked. Law noticed. "What is it?"

Kidd's brow scrunched up in confusion and he leaned in closer to examine me. "It smells like the last one. Why'd it come back?"

I could see something light across the human's face at that, a small spark of intrigue in the curl of his smile, and I could only assume that wouldn't bode well for me. This was the same man who contemplated experimenting on his young charge every time the pest wreaked havoc in his lab. "Who knows?"

Apparently that was the extent of Kidd's thoughts on the matter as the eager grin from before made a full return and he licked his lips. "Can we eat it this time?"

By this point I knew well enough not to fool myself with thoughts like 'they wouldn't'. But for some bizarre reason that I, at the time, could not comprehend, after a stretching silence Law shook his head, humming thoughtfully. The annoyed groan from the wyvern told of his displeasure. "Why not?!"

Yeah, why not? I was relieved, of course, but couldn't help this nagging feeling at the back of my mind that he was up to something and that the results would be disastrous. And to only worsen my anxiety his answer consisted of a shrug as he bent down and scooped me up into his arms, continuing on towards the library without so much as a word. I didn't have the mind to squirm free this time, and while one part of me was worried, the other was… curious. I'd wanted to observe them closer, even interact with them, and if they weren't going to kill my mortal form… maybe I could do that.

Kidd was far less optimistic as he lagged behind, irritated growls escaping him. For all that he'd grown over the past year he was still a child, one lacking manners—which wasn't a surprise, considering his guardian could be the same at times—and hating it when he didn't get his way. But despite that and the fact that his species was very temperamental, Kidd never fought Law's decision, never tried to go against his word and kill me, and I could only interpret that as a sign of his immense respect for the man who saved him. I was finding that wyverns were very… loyal creatures.

I still found it odd, though, to see a nestling away from its flight.

Soon the nostalgic scent of aged parchment buried my thoughts and I focused my sight on the rows of bound books and scrolls filling the left half of the room. Most I recognised; they were writings from the human colony that Law had retrieved from the lower levels of the mountain that were still very much in disrepair. They weren't in the greatest of states, some near falling apart and others damaged from the conditions they were subjected to, and I very much doubted Law could read the language they were written in. Nevertheless, he kept them and for that I was grateful. But amongst the old texts were crisp new books in a very different writing I recognised as what Law read. There weren't many of those and I was curious to know if books were still just as expensive as they were centuries ago.

Law meandered his way over to the sitting area on the right side of the room, tossing a blanket from one of the benches onto the floor and placing me atop it. He remained still, watching me carefully, his muscles tensed in what I assumed to be preparation for a flighty escape. But when I did little more than sit in place and stare up at him, he eased up and rose to his feet. "Close the door."

Kidd complied, still grumbling under his breath as he dropped onto the chair, glaring up at his senior. "'M hungry now."

"You're not eating it."

"I didn't say I was gonna eat it!" he hissed, wings folding back as he settled into place. "Jus' that I'm hungry."

Law let out a soft snort as he grabbed one of the newer texts and took a seat on one of the wooden chairs set against the wall, flipping absently through the pages. He saw through Kidd's words to the underlying question and shot it down before the brat got ideas.

Never before had someone been so set on eating me.

There was another lull of silence as I nestled in a loaf atop the blanket, carefully studying the two. I never missed the way the little wyvern crawled my way, slowly inching over as though I didn't notice. My ears twitched with the scuff of his claws against the ground and I grew uneasy—just a bit. Law was watching. Kidd wouldn't do anything while Law was watching, I was sure of it.

Eventually Kidd was looming over me, sniffing me again as I remained still, resisting the urge to bury myself beneath the blanket in some vain search for security. "So if we're not gonna eat it, what're we gonna do with it?"

A wry grin stretched across Law's face, "Well, I've been wanting a new hat."

The words 'he wouldn't' popped into my head and I chided myself, knowing just how little that man cared for me. But still… they wouldn't, would they?"

Kidd glared up at him. "Then why can't I eat it?!"

"Hush, brat. It was a joke."

"Well it didn't sound it…" Kidd snorted, wings flapping uselessly as he got comfortable. "'S not running away. I think you broke it."

"Leave it be; it's scared."

"So what?!"

"Kidd," Law warned, and instantly the subject fell away and I was left wondering whether or not I should be grateful to the strange healer for keeping me there.

Despite the threats there was something… pleasant about sitting in that room with them, passing the time.

* * *

 **And so it begins. If you're wondering about the title of the fic, it'll be explained more in future chapters. But I hope you're liking the start, and I look forward to hearing what you guys think so far!**

 **Adieu~**


	2. Chapter 2

**I think this is the quickest i've updated a story in a loooong time. It's nice to have finished stories every now and then.**

 **Enjoy~**

* * *

A week was all it took for the pair to get used to my presence, as was it all I needed to finally relax. The thoughts of Law changing his mind and killing my vessel were a mere echo of what they had been several nights ago, especially as he'd routinely showed up with woody plants for me to eat. I was grateful for that; my physical bodies _could_ get hungry, and I hadn't shed my form once since I'd been taken in. It was still a mystery as to _why_ he was keeping me there, though.

A bowl was placed for Kidd on the floor for dinner as per the norm, my food across the room from his. It was near impossible to hold anything without hands—a fact he accepted and _hated_ as he knew he should have been able to shapeshift better than that—and the best solution they'd found was to have Kidd eat in his wyvern form. Fortunately he didn't make as much of a fuss as he used to, eating his meal quietly. At some point he seemed to accept the fact that, without a mentor, learning to form complex appendages like arms and hands was going to be a challenge. I caught him eyeing me as we ate. As soon as he finished he shifted back into his half form, staring. And staring. Law ignored us.

"So," Kidd started, rising up off the floor and nudging me with his foot. Part of me wanted to bite him, the other wanted to hide away in the library again. I'd made a habit of it whenever the boy wouldn't leave me alone. "Are we keeping it?"

"He's male, Kidd."

He rolled his eyes. "Are we keeping _him_?"

"Who knows?" I caught Law glance over at me for just a moment.

" _You_ should know! You're the one keeping me from eating him!"

Law decided not to deign the question with a response and instead turned from where he was cleaning some used utensils and waltzed across the room to pick me up. That was how he kept me within sight; he naturally didn't believe I would understand to follow him on my own, and I never made a fuss when he held me. "Don't forget to wash up before bed."

"Yeah, yeah…" But as Kidd turned towards the washroom he paused, his attention back on me as Law started out of the room. "We at least gonna name him?"

"Wash up, Kidd."

"I'm going, alright?!"

Name me, was it? A part of me hoped they did, that I could shed my titles from before and move past them, and the other part…

Well, I knew what would happen if they tried.

And so began the usual trek down the hall. After living there with them over the past week I was able to gain a new appreciation for all of the renovations that had been done to the upper levels of the mountain; what was once nothing more than empty extra space the previous occupants never got to utilise was now livable. He'd managed to make a kitchen with cold storage, and even carved some furniture for it himself. There were bedrooms, too—a few more than what was strictly necessary—and a study. A lab. He'd made a few washrooms, one for each of the upper levels as travelling between them could be quite the hassle.

What were once collapsing halls had become a home.

Law set me down on one of the benches in the lab, moving over to his station to do some potion making, as he was so prone to after dinner. From what I could gather he'd make a variety of simple healing elixirs using the ingredients he bought and the magic granted to him by the symbols on his body, and would then sell them to ill humans in town to earn money alongside his earnings from the practical application of his skill. I'd fallen into a routine of just sitting on the edge of the bench, watching as he worked. It was almost hypnotic, how patterned his movements were, the way he always knew what to do next without even a thought…

I almost didn't notice him staring at me. Almost.

He was sitting on a chair, the potion set to cool in a pot off to the side, fingers drumming along the arm of his chair. The look he was giving me… it was a lot like the way Kidd looked at me earlier, and I sat up. What was that look for?

"A name, hm?" Law leaned closer, stretching out his arm to card a hand through my fur and I ducked beneath the touch, ears perking forward. He wasn't actually thinking of giving me one, was he? "I've never been good at that."

Before I knew it I was lifted and placed on his lap as he played with my ears, my front paws on his chest. He was acting… strange. That was the first time he'd spoken directly to me, and the first time I'd been picked up without needing to be transported.

"'Kidd' was about the extent of my creativity." He let out a soft snicker, watching the liquid in the pot as he quieted, and then after a short glance to the corner of the room, "What about 'Sabo'?"

I didn't have time to react as my form involuntarily shifted, and suddenly I was looking down at Law instead of up. I caught the widening of his eyes before I was forcefully shoved off of him, stumbling back as he turned to grab the first thing he could reach for—a spoon used to measure ingredients. Nevertheless he held it up to me all the same, trying to pass it off as some dangerous weapon, and it looked so out of place—not just because it was a spoon, but Law was a healer, not a fighter.

"What in the name of the _gods_ —"

I raised placating hands, not daring to take a step forward. "E-easy, it's okay…" That was my voice, then. What a strange, foreign sound. And soon my attention was brought to those hands—pale, human-like things. I was coming to realise just how different this new form was.

"Who are you?"

I paused, remembering the other person in the room, and before my old name could slip my tongue I grinned, "Sabo."

Another look of surprise crossed Law's face and it was so strange; I'd rarely ever seen him make expressions like those. He was always such a stoic man. "...The hare?"

I gave a curt nod and my focus was split between Law and my new form. I wanted to _see_ it but, of course, there weren't any mirrors in the lab. It would have to wait, then… For the best, I supposed. "I'm sorry if I startled you… I had no control over it."

"Over _what_ , exactly?" Law's grip on the spoon remained firm and I wondered what he planned on doing with it—gouge my eyes out?

"My form change." As soon as the words left my mouth I realised that the human wouldn't know what I meant and averted my eyes sheepishly. "I change shape depending on the thoughts and opinions of my people. Of what they think their god is... The last believed me to be a hare because—"

" _God_?" It was hard to miss the question behind his intonation—or just how absurd he found the notion. He… couldn't be blamed for that.

I hung my head, my hand coming to rub the back of my neck as I stared hard at the stone floors of the mountain. "I'm sorry. For not… revealing myself earlier. I'm the god of this mountain."

Law slumped in his seat, no longer holding a white-knuckled grip on the spoon, and I had to wonder if he actually believed me. A stressed hand carded through his hair, and when I saw how conflicted he was I piped up, "I can change back, if you'd like."

When there was no immediate response I morphed, my form shrinking until once more I was looking up at him. He stared for a while, sighed. Apparently it hadn't satisfied him.

"Going back to that form doesn't make a difference now that I know."

Feeling somewhat defeated I switched back yet again, my shoulders hunched as I took a seat on the bench. The feeling wasn't all too foreign; it wasn't like that was the first humanoid form I'd taken. But I was curious as to just what it looked like.

My curiosity was outshone by worry.

"...I can leave."

There was silence all throughout the lab before Law began tap-tap-tapping away at the wood of his desk with the handle of the spoon, brow scrunched in wordless thought. I found myself shifting in place, waiting for him to tell me to just _go_ and—

"This is your mountain, then?"

I glanced up at him, eyes narrowed as I watched. He wanted information, did he? "Yeah," I gave a curt nod, "I was born with its formation. It's… a part of me, you could say."

Law hummed, leaning back in his chair. His hands came to rest on his lap, fiddling absently with the utensil. "Then how would you leave, exactly?"

"Well," I folded my arms over my chest, "I would go to Otherworld."

"And that is?"

I frowned, trying to think back to my humans and how they'd described it. For me Otherworld just… was. "I've heard it called the 'spirit world', 'afterlife', or 'ethereal plains'... but we don't interact with the dead there. Not often."

He nodded in acknowledgement, though I had to wonder just how much he understood. "You live there?"

I pressed my lips together, eyes downcast to my bare feet. "I live there, and I live here. They're the same, you could say. But only for the gods."

"That makes no sense."

"Well I'm trying!" I huffed, crossing my arms across my chest, subconsciously mimicking a stance I'd seen Law take time and time again. "It's hard to explain to a mortal who can't go there. If you were dead it'd be another matter entirely—I could just _show_ you—but…"

Law was quiet at first before rising from his seat to tend to the potion, his steps echoing against the walls. I watched as he gave the mixture one last stir before taking a small sample of it into a vial and holding it up to the candlelight, testing its clarity. There were a few moments of stillness as he waited for it to settle before he moved the pot, setting it to cool, and walked towards the entrance of the lab. He nodded his head and I followed without question.

He led me down the hall towards his bedroom and it was only when he was rummaging through his closet that I realised I was naked. Well, I'd _always_ been naked, sure, but it was different with human bodies. Humans didn't seem all that fond of nudity, be it because of cultural or environmental concerns. Law held up one set of robes after another, eyeing me critically before deeming each unfit and tossing them aside for another. He was quite a bit taller than me so I supposed it was hard to find something that wouldn't slide off.

"Um," I cleared my throat awkwardly. Talking was a bit tiring. "It's alright, I don't need anything like that…"

He seemed to ignore my statement, digging to the back of the closet to pull out some smaller, older-looking robes and pressing them against my chest. "Shouldn't a god be able to clothe himself?"

I rolled my eyes. He didn't believe me. Of course. "It doesn't work like that."

"Of course not." Law snickered, and then tossed the robes onto my head. "Get dressed. You're not staying here like that."

I blinked, pulling the clothes off to stare at them. He was… letting me stay, then. That was… that was good. A lot better than I expected, knowing how solitary Law was. But I wouldn't question it, smiling as I pulled the first article over my head. "I wouldn't dream of it. Ah, Law?"

"Hm?"

"Why 'Sabo'?"

He turned to me, surprised at first before shaking his head and helping me as I got tangled in the robe. It wasn't my fault—I hadn't _done_ this before, damn it. "It means 'tailor' where I come from."

"But what does that—" As I thought back I ate my words, recalling that some of Kidd's torn clothes had been piled on a table in the corner of the lab. Law had been in the process of mending them. "...You really are horrible with names."

"As I said."

* * *

When morning came I'd stolen a hand mirror from the washroom and stared with intrigue at the foreign face staring back as I sat at the kitchen counter, Law making breakfast in my periphery. The form I'd been given was quite pale, my skin a tone more closely resembling Kidd's than Law's. My hair was blond, eyes green… and to my surprise I was indistinguishable from any human. That was a first for me; even though my people had a humanoid form for me it was never quite this… normal.

The scent of meat wafted my nose and I looked up, watching as the human worked, the meat sizzling—and I knew it wouldn't be long before the wyvern noticed and came barrelling into the room. Sure enough the boy came running in moments later. But the moment he saw me he stilled, muscles tensing as his eyes darted between myself and his caretaker. I tried to smile… but it went ignored as he hissed and took a step back.

Law turned to the boy, glaring dully as he set out the freshly cooked meat just has he always did. "He's a guest. Don't be rude, brat."

Kidd gave an indignant snort and ignored his food, cautiously approaching me and trying to analyze my scent. It didn't bother me—the boy hadn't seen any strangers in the mountain before. But when his head reared back and his eyes went wide I knew he recognised me.

I just smiled, nodding to his food. "Don't let it go to waste."

"You…"

"Yes?"

Kidd scrunched up his nose, a frown on his face as he looked to Law for some sort of explanation. When none was given his reluctance to eat seemed to fade, though he wasn't at all pleased to be left in the dark, and a quick switch into his beastial form found him finally getting to his meal.

"Do you want anything?"

I looked up, my eyes meeting Law's as he gestured to the small meal he'd begun preparing for himself and I shook my head. I could get hungry, yes, but… "I don't need to eat."

"But do you want to?"

Again I waved him off. "It's fine." Well, to be technical, I _did_ require at least some sustenance to maintain my physical form but it was of little consequence; I could always change back if something happened to it. Besides that I was much too… giddy. Things had gone _so_ much better than I anticipated they would, and this was the first time I'd gotten so close to my mountain's inhabitants—

I could clearly recall a day long ago, standing above a wasteland of decay, vowing that this was the one thing I would forever avoid. I remembered walking through scattered rubble, past crumbling monuments and homes, wondering just where I had gone wrong.

Kidd's growl brought me from my thoughts and I smiled as he shifted away. Apparently I wasn't well liked.

* * *

Getting used to staying there wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. The nights were the worst, left to shoulder my solitude as the others turned in for a few hours of sleep, not requiring much rest to keep my mortal shell functioning as it should. But mornings and evenings were a different matter entirely.

We needed to hunt. Well, more specifically, _Kidd_ needed to hunt and we needed to chaperone, but in the end either way it meant that we would be out in the cold watching as the little runt tried to learn some useful life skills that would normally be taught by the elder members of his flight—a flight that had been completely absent during the whole of their stay.

As we descended the stone steps that led to the mountain's entrance I found my hands gliding over the soft fur blanketing me, warm to the touch. These coats were something of a signature of Law's; he'd always worn them and was kind enough to spare one after coming to realise that other than the oversized shirt and pants he'd given me before, I had nothing to wear. I felt bad, though; the tail end of the material dragged along the floor, my height never quite reaching his, and I wondered if the constant wear would ruin it. Well, Law didn't seem to mind. And if he did then he'd just have to deal with it. I'd _said_ I didn't need any protection.

But as we stepped out onto the most recent layer of powdery snow I never felt my temperature change, my body heat trapped within the thick coat, and my eyes widened at the realisation. Law seemed to notice, giving me a questioning look, and I cleared my throat as I recomposed. "I-it's a quality item. Very warm."

"Of course it is," he snickered. "It was made for this sort of weather."

In all honesty… that was my first time actually dressing for the weather. The effects of temperature were little more than an echo unless I took a mortal form so it hadn't seemed like much of a problem until now.

The snow crunched beneath our feet as we trudged further out into the trees. Kidd was already a little ways ahead of us, his movements quick and practiced in the winter climate as his eyes darted about for any sign of movement. He didn't look so awkward when not in his half form—very natural despite the uselessness of his wings. A small surge of pride rushed through me while watching, thinking back to a time when that brat was a little smaller and a _lot_ clumsier.

"Wyverns hunt in groups," Law muttered absently as he followed along beside me before coming to rest against a tree. Kidd was busy stalking his prey—a sight that was more amusing than it was intimidating. "His natural instinct is to surround his target. I've tried to break him of that."

"Because he's alone?"

He nodded, retrieving a small knife from his bag—a precaution against any unwanted interruptions. "He'll outlive me. He needs to know how to take care of himself." Law snorted as the brat pounced at a fox only to fall face-first into the snow.

Kidd wasn't deterred, shaking his head and bounding after his target. But his speed didn't seem to be quite enough as he began to slow, the gap between hunter and prey growing with each passing second, and eventually he parked himself in the middle of a clearing, growling as the fox vanished from his sight.

"He has a long way to go."

"I can see that." I smiled as Kidd got back up and began his search anew. "He's determined, though."

"Stubborn, more like."

Well, yes, that was probably a bit more accurate. Kidd was stubborn and he could have quite the temper. But there was something almost charming about the way he was never deterred despite his failures. It wasn't long before he was tracking some prints in the snow that hadn't yet been covered by the ongoing storm, his lost prey forgotten as he pressed on further into the brush. Law and I stayed behind, following his movement with our eyes.

"You don't seem very god-like," Law stated, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back against the trunk of the tree we were standing under.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm a lesser god; I need to conserve power."

"Convenient," he muttered with a snort, adjusting the brim of his hat as the wind picked up. "I'm sorry if I find that hard to believe."

My frown was enough to show my insult at the insinuation. Had I known that Law was having his doubts? It would have been hard to overlook. His 'belief' in my story was based more off curiosity than anything; it didn't take a god to figure that out. And now his eyes were on me, _daring_ me to prove myself, and I was caught between saving my strength as I'd always done and going against my better judgement and—

 _To hell with it_.

I could feel Law watching me as I crouched down low, my coat bunching on the ground as I placed my hand just above the icy blanket at our feet. I could feel a surge of warmth from my palm as the snow beneath it thawed with the heat, first the fresh powder on top then down to the firn beneath until it reached a layer of long-frozen dirt. That wouldn't be enough to impress the great _Trafalgar Law_ , I knew, and I leaned over to press my fingers to the cleared area, feeling a small bit of energy pass through the ground. As I pulled my hand away I revealed a small sprout. It still wasn't anything all that impressive, even I had to admit that, but I liked to think that it was enough to showcase my abilities.

When he said nothing I cleared my throat, trying to alleviate the awkward air between us. "I used to bring spring. When the humans lived here I would melt the snow, and the land was fertile enough for them to grow crops. Eventually a settlement formed."

Law came to crouch beside me, his fingers brushing against the sprout to prove that it was real, and I didn't know whether to feel relieved or insulted. "That was your job as their deity, then?"

"I had other duties, but yeah. That was the main one." As soon as my concentration fell the sprout wilted and I sighed. "In return they would bring me offerings and my power would grow. Lesser gods aren't limitless beings."

Before Law could respond my ears caught the crunching of snow beneath hurried feet. The human didn't seem to notice, what with his dull senses, and rose to his feet to dust himself off. The moment he did there was a crash and tumble as Kidd tackled him to the ground, almost burying him in the thick layer of snow. I blinked, tilting my head as I peered around the small reptilian body to see a limp hare trapped in Kidd's jaw and I cringed. That could have been me the other day…

Law cursed as he sat up, brushing away the snow that fell on him and glaring at the boy, but Kidd didn't seem to notice, shifting into his half form with a cocky grin. "I did it! This one isn't gonna turn into a guy, right?"

Law looked between the game and myself and sighed, shaking his head as he stood. "No, it won't. Now let's get back before the storm picks up."

His words brought to my attention the worsening flurries through which I could just make out the silhouette of the mountain, our visibility so hindered that it was no wonder why Law hadn't seen the brat coming. We headed back, and it was a… strange feeling, having to walk through the storm, not being able to just… avoid it all together. Mortals were at the mercy of the weather, and experiencing it for myself made me feel… small.

* * *

Law had sent Kidd to get changed while we trudged on further down the hall until we came to Law's room. The storm had left our coats soaked through and Law was even worse off after falling in the snow; I could see the shivering of his skin as he threw off his old attire and went searching through the closet for something warm to wear, and while I was supposed to be doing the same my focus was stolen by the crisp white markings colouring Law's skin. It wasn't like I hadn't seen them before, but… I hadn't seen so many. The ones on his arms and neck, sure, but his clothes normally hid away the markings on his chest and back, an intricate mess of whites and blues woven through his skin. Some of the symbols and writing I'd recognised, others… not so much.

When he caught me staring I averted my eyes and threw off my coat, cringing as it hit the ground with a wet _splat_ , heavy with melted snow. I distracted myself instead by rummaging through the closet alongside Law—he'd _said_ I could use some of his clothes as I had none of my own, and this time I at least wanted to pick something out for myself.

"As a god shouldn't you be able to materialise something so simple?"

I rolled my eyes; somehow I just _knew_ he'd start with questions like those. Actually it wasn't all that different from what he'd asked before. To be fair, I hadn't given him much of an answer back then. "I don't create things. My specialty lies more in helping things grow and heal."

"So you're very limited in what you can do, then."

"I'm a lesser god, as I said." Amidst my search I peeked over at him, watching as he pulled a shirt over his head and covered up the markings I was so curious about. From what I could recall, humans could _not_ use magic, but this man… "You seem to have overcome your own limits, though. Maybe I should try harder."

Law looked down at his arms a moment before letting out a soft snort and moving over to his desk to grab a few papers. "They're amplifiers. We can only learn one type of magic and I chose healing."

I smiled as I pulled something out for myself and began shrugging it on. Judging by the intricacy of those tattoos it took a lot for humans to be able to use the spells that Law could… I had to admire his commitment.

"I have to get back to work on the potions," he stated as he finished gathering his things. "Cook Kidd's lunch for me."

Before I could protest he was gone and I was left blankly staring at the door, my eyes panning to the sopping-wet clothes still scattered across the floor. Lips pressed together I went about gathering them into a basket, and then made my way to the kitchen.

I'd never cooked before. Well. This would be fun.

The brat was already there waiting, sitting on a chair with his game proudly presented before him on the counter. I caught the way he eyed me, suspicion in the downwards curve of his mouth as he watched me cross the room and stop before him on the other side. I stared down at the corpse, my face scrunching up at the sight of bloodied white fur that could very well have been mine just over a week ago.

 _This is cruel and unusual._

Kidd stared at me expectantly and I cleared my throat. "Well. We should get started, shouldn't we? I bet you're hungry."

He narrowed his eyes. "Where's Law?"

"Working," I replied quickly. "He asked me to cook instead. S-so why don't we get started?"

"Your voice cracked."

"Quiet, you."

"And you repeated yourself."

" _Hush_." I swallowed, looking over the limp form, wondering just where to start. A few awkward minutes found us in silence and my shoulders slumped in defeat. But I felt this strange sort of pride that kept me from admitting my lacking experience, as though I was ashamed of having never done this. My eyes fell to Kidd's wings and I wondered… He couldn't hold things, not by any means. Without arms I could recall him more often than not getting frustrated with the layout of the mountain and all of the hand dependant things within it. But Law wanted to teach him how to survive on his own…

A slow-forming grin crossed my mouth and I nodded to the hare. "You've been learning, right? Walk me through it. Let's see what you remember."

Kidd frowned, staring at his catch with uncertainty. "Law's never had me do that."

"So you _can't_ , then?"

"Damn right I can!" he hissed. "I'd be able t' _do it,_ too, if I had my goddamn arms!"

Ah, what a gullible brat. It hadn't taken much to make him give in and I was feeling quite satisfied as he directed me to the tools Law started with.

Kidd leaned closer on the table with a sadistic grin. "First ya gotta cut off the lower half of each leg. An' the head." I stiffened, looking down into the hare's dead eyes. "Then Law peels back the skin at the neck. Grabs one of the front legs, an' normally the piece of fur at the tail doesn't come off with it so he has t' pull that off separately."

Immediately I paled, my hand hovering over the hare, the blade of my knife never moving towards it as my stomach knotted at the mental image.

Law's return an hour later found Kidd's game untouched with me huddled in the corner with my face buried in my arms. I didn't have to look to know that he was staring at me and was quick to mutter out a defensive, "I _tried_ , okay…"

He snorted as he rounded the counter, and it wasn't long before I heard the stomach-turning sounds of blade against skin. "It doesn't look like you did."

"I'm a hare, too, you know."

"I thought you were a god."

" _Hush_ , Trafalgar."

* * *

 **Aaaand that wraps up the update. I'm hoping that by the time I get the third chapter up and running I'll have a cover drawn up of Sabo's god form \o/ That aside, it's really nice to see there are some people enjoying this weird fantasy story, so thanks for sticking around!**

 **To my lovelies~**

 **Move-2-da-beat-femme: Hehe glad you like~ Hope the second chapter lived up to your expectations!**

 **Mah-Blackberreh: I like writing first person a lot, but sadly not a lot of people enjoy reading it :'D**

 **BedofRoses1989: You have no idea how nice it is to have a few SaboLaw readers poking in X'D I always get worried everyone'll be turned away when they see the characters.**

 **Blackthorn Ashe: Luffy's in the story~ And Ace is mentioned, but not actually IN it. I may write a drabble sequel one day, but we'll see.**

 **sarge1130: I kinda hint at why he stays there throughout, but it's not outright stated. You're on the right track, though! I think it'd be pretty ooc of Law to be affected by Sabo's cuteness X'D That's probably why I thought his character would fit best with this version of Sabo. I'll be continuing those stories too, don't worry! It's just that I'm working a lot lately and don't have as much time to dedicate to writing, and this story is already done other than editing and revising the last two scenes, so it's easier for me to post this one often. Wake Me Up I THINK I have half a chapter written for.**

 **Guest: Hehe very happy to hear that! I always worry people won't like my fantasy stuff so it's nice to have ya!**

 **Dutchess-Of-Dirt: Lol it's Sabo XD But Luffy ain't exactly human himself.**

 **Adieu~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Updating this story again for Rare Pair's week! Also, horizonproblems over on tumblr made the amazing new cover for the story, so a big thank you to them! ;v;/ Enjoy~**

* * *

I would have been lying if I said that I wasn't scared—a bold-faced lie with no place in reality. Distracting myself with getting dressed lasted no more than a minute and did nothing to quell my racing thoughts. I took my time in the room that had been given to me, wandering around it, straightening the sheets thrice over. They were waiting for me, perhaps they would get annoyed, but I couldn't help it.

They wanted me to go into town with them. Law did, at least, while Kidd still remained as wary of me as ever. I was to go to look for clothes for myself, attire that fit better than the baggy human robes currently dressing me, and I was to look after Kidd while Law got another tattoo to cover the empty space on his back. Seeing that alone would make the trip worthwhile—I'd been curious about those 'amplifier' tattooes since the day I'd first seen them—but that was hardly enough to alleviate my concerns.

I'd never left my mountain, not once throughout my long, long life. That was my home, that was a part of _myself_ , and the thought of parting with it made my stomach drop. It wasn't a long trip by any means, the town being only an hour's walk from my territory, but that didn't make it any easier. I was still venturing out into the unknown… Maybe a more powerful god wouldn't have been bothered, but I _wasn't_ powerful. I was little more than a humble mountain god.

I couldn't stall forever. I went about ten minutes in my room before gathering the courage to meet the others out in the hall. They were bickering again, Kidd's wings flailing in show of his irritation as Law began completely ignoring him, and I had to wonder… Would it be okay to bring a wyvern into human territory?

I shook my head free of the thought and we left the mountain. Taking those first few steps out of the territory had me nervous, but as we started out into the snowy clearing past the forest it faded relatively painlessly. I _may_ have felt… a bit ridiculous over how I reacted to such an underwhelming experience. There wasn't much talking along the way, and for the most part I just admired the strange new sights in silent observation as we treked onward.

Eventually I noticed something curious, a strange slow fade of the snow, a rise in temperature—nothing _too_ significant but certainly enough to be noticed, especially since I was used to sub-zero temperatures year round.

"What is it?" Law questioned, eyeing me from where he walked alongside me.

"The god of this area is still active," I muttered, staring at my feet that were covered by shoes a few sizes too large as we dragged ourselves through layers of slush.

"Oh?"

"Lesser gods control the seasons… like myself. I used to bring spring to my mountain."

"I haven't heard that before." His sarcasm was thick and I rolled my eyes, leaving the subject to drop there.

"Just an observation."

The town was big—er, well… to me it was. I mean, how many years had it been since I'd last seen _that_ many people all crammed into one place? For the most part the streets weren't _too_ crowded… at least, not at first. There were houses, farms on the outskirts. Its main purpose seemed to be trade. As we went deeper into the heart of it all I started to notice a number of hotels. Maybe it was a change in the times or because the human settlement in my territory had been so remote, but it seemed strange to me. That meant there were a lot of travellers, a lot of people passing in and out on a regular basis. I wondered what surrounded this place. Sure, yeah, there was the mountain to the north, but I'd never really given any thought to what _else_ was around there. I'd always just sort of… accepted where I was, never questioned it.

As we reached the main streets my heart swelled, a grin stretching across my face as I slowed my steps to take in the sheer number of people crowded around the shops and stands. I didn't know how many there were and I wasn't about to count, but damn, I hadn't seen crowds like those since—well… since ever. My people were always a smaller group. There were a lot of them, but they didn't compare to this… And Law called this a 'small town'...

Things really had changed.

There was a tap to my shoulder and I blinked, looking over at Law as he nodded to the left and my eyes followed to a small shop with a name carved into a wooden sign above the entrance, one in that funny-looking language Law brought with him to the mountain that I couldn't seem to understand. Kidd and I followed him inside to what I could only describe as some… bizarre, foreign set up with these comfortable-looking, padded chairs. I wondered what they were for. The rest of the shop seemed like an ordinary apothecary; it was just those chairs that looked out of place. But as my eyes wandered into one of the back corners I saw a man resting easily as another—an elf, if appearance was any indicator—tapped a strange, sharp device into his skin. It looked like it hurt… but the human grit his teeth and bore with it.

That was tattooing, wasn't it?

Law approached someone, another elf, and they had a small discussion while Kidd sniffed the place out. It wasn't long before Law was removing his arms from his sleeves, the upper part of his robe hanging at his waist as he lowered himself into a chair, and I once more looked over all the elaborate symbols on his body. I wanted to watch. It wasn't like the humans I'd known before didn't have markings like those, but… these were different. These were more than cosmetic designs; they gave Law the ability to _heal_. I wanted to see the moment magic was infused with those designs.

The tattooist began drawing something on the clear skin of Law's back but I couldn't watch as Law turned to look up at me, his eyes flicking over to the nosy wyvern snooping around every now and then. "This is going to take a while," he stated bluntly, beginning to rummage through his pouch. "Watch Kidd until I'm done. Get yourself some clothes."

"Ah… alright. Kidd," I called, beckoning the boy towards me. He hissed, only approaching when Law gave him a threatening glare. Even then it was obvious that he wasn't listening out of choice.

"Sabo," Law sighed, stopping me from leaving right there as he removed some coins from the pouch to keep for himself before holding the rest out for me. "You need money."

I blinked and then flushed, clearing my throat as I snatched it out of his hand. "I knew that."

"You didn't."

"I did."

"Don't lie."

"I'm _not_ —"

"If the boy gets hungry, feed him. There's more than enough there."

I pouted, allowing the subject to drop there as I turned away from him and started out of the shop, staring into the bag at all of the various colours and sizes of coins. So that was the currency of this society, then… It was nothing like what I was used to seeing. The metals it was made from were different, and these looked more... I don't know, refined?

Alright… now what? I looked around, examining the bustling streets with fear and apprehension… and perhaps more than a little excitement. The people wore humble clothing, simple with dull colours and few patterns. It wasn't anything like what Law or myself wore, not at all. Law's clothes were deep, dark shades clearly made with expensive dyes—all except for those animal-skin coats he liked to bundle up in when out in the snow. They were embroidered and perhaps a bit lavish, at least by human standards. Looking around it seemed almost similar to what the fae wore, so perhaps Law was foreign… On our way to town he mentioned in passing that he used to travel.

Kidd folded his wings against his sides, making himself appear smaller than he was as he stuck close to me, almost causing me to trip with the way he was riding my heels. I stumbled a few times, looking down to see his lip curled, contrasting greatly with his pushed back ears. With the looks he was getting it didn't surprise me; there were more than just humans there, but they were fully transformed, leaving them to naturally blend in with the crowds. He'd yet to figure out just how to do that, probably because he had no one to instruct him. He was still just a nestling, even if he liked to act the contrary, so how was he supposed to have already picked up on that?

To shake off the brat's unease I grinned. "Scared?"

He snorted, wings twitching as he put some distance between us. "'Course not."

"Nervous, then?"

"No!"

I rolled my eyes and didn't fight him on it, searching around until—ah, there! A few meters away stood a row of clothing shops side-by-side. They were a bit crowded but so were the streets, and I figured we'd stand out less there than if we went someplace that was more or less deserted. I pulled Kidd in and he tried to resist but his efforts didn't last and he came to brood beside me when I wandered over to one of the racks.

"What d'you think?" I asked, holding up one of the dully-coloured shirts for his inspection. His expression told me that he couldn't care less—hell, he wouldn't even take a proper look at it—and I pouted as I put it back on the rack. Alright, so my first attempt at distracting him was shot down. That was okay, I was too stubborn to give up so easily. "I've never bought myself clothes before. I'm a bit lost on what to pick."

"Then don't get anything," he muttered. "Hurry up. I wanna go wait for Law."

I sighed, sifting through the clothes one by one before determining I didn't like any of them and moving on towards the shelves in the back, being sure Kidd stuck closeby, if only to keep the brat from getting into something he shouldn't. "If he wanted us to wait for him there he would have told us to."

"Shut up."

"Being difficult again, I see." I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. "If we get everything we need done then we can go back. We'd need to do it at some point regardless, so why not get it out of the way?"

Kidd looked away, kicking the floor with the toe of his boot and letting out an irritated growl. I _thought_ that meant he understood.

"Now," I started, holding up a pale blue coat, "how's this look?"

"Fine," he muttered reluctantly.

I grinned, folding the fabric over my arm as we repeated the process a few more times. Soon I had enough to make a good few outfits—more than I had now, at least—and I was ready to go.

I almost walked out of the store without paying, only to be stopped by the merchant. He explained and I apologised, and when he gave me the total I opened up the pouch and—

...Bloody hell I didn't know the values of any of the coins. I froze there, at a loss for what to do, and eventually I turned pleading eyes to the small wyvern accompanying me. He looked confused at first but after a long while of unabashed staring he started to get it.

"... _Really_?"

"I'm foreign," I stated quickly, which wasn't entirely wrong… Well, it felt more like I'd travelled centuries into the future than I had come from a far-off land, but I didn't feel like explaining myself in front of all those strangers.

He rolled his eyes and pointed out the values of the coins and I was able to pay for my items and we left, albeit with a heavier load. We hadn't been out long, though, and I supposed giving Law more time would be appropriate. I glanced down at the oddly quiet Kidd, lips pressed together.

"...Are you hungry?"

"No."

"But you're _always_ hungry."

"I'm _not_."

"Fine, fine." I sighed. His nerves were probably getting to him, what with the crowds and the staring. I could try getting him something later once he calmed down, I reasoned, but in the meantime I paused in our endless wandering. "Then keep me company for a bit?"

He eyed me warily. "Doin' what?"

I grinned, nodding across the plaza to a small shrine. "I'd like to visit. I've never been to one before." Well, one that wasn't my own, at least.

Kidd pressed his lips together as he stared at it, his wings pressed tightly to his sides. "...'Neither."

"Really?"

"'Course not. Why'd I need to go to a damn shrine?"

...Point. It wasn't like he lived in an area with an active god—I was too weak—and being that wyverns naturally lived in cold, winter climates, his flight wouldn't have needed a lesser god like myself. So I didn't really fault him for it and led him up to the shrine. It wasn't anything extravagant, just a simple outdoor structure with a gabled roof, painted in bright reds and deep blacks that faded with age in some areas and chipped in others. It was a humble little home, a bit similar to my own in that sense, and I smiled as I watched the people in front of us place their offerings.

Once the area was clear, all but for a small boy with unruly black hair who was gawking at it off to the side, Kidd and I approached. He started sniffing the shrine which, if I'm honest, I kind of expected. People glanced over but I don't think any of them found it all that strange; it was obvious Kidd wasn't human, and I doubted he was the first brat to do that. I instead admired the large metal statues resting just outside the shrine, a pair of golden monkeys. No doubt that was the main form they'd given to the god… An animal, huh? Some things never changed.

Ah… "We should leave something."

Kidd paused in his investigation of the shrine to look up at me. "Why the hell should we?"

 _Brat_. "Because that's how lesser gods maintain their strength."

"Then what do we give it?"

"It doesn't matter _what_ , really, just…" I hummed, grabbing out the pouch from earlier and leaving a few coins as an offering. The boy snorted and I grinned. "Don't tell Law."

"Why?"

"Because I fear a lecture, that's why. C'mon, let's get you some food."

"I said I'm not—"

"Then we'll get you a snack for later—just listen, damn it."

* * *

We got back to the apothecary just in time to see the tail end of the magic infusion, I was pleased to find. Kidd and I stood off to the side, arms filled with bags. I hadn't gotten Kidd to eat but that was due more to him being too embarrassed to switch forms than him not being hungry. We picked up some local foods for later, and I even managed to get him to pick out a cloak for himself—not without protests of "I dun' need one," of course.

Law's skin was red, the new tattoo raised with the swelling, and it looked… odd, out of place amongst the rest. The ink was a deep black, the exact opposite of what I expected to see. It ran along the bulk of his shoulder blade and over and around to his collarbone, in between two other tattooes. With the redness it looked like it hurt, but Law didn't seem to care or even notice. He was leaning forward, arms resting on his knees as the elf massaged a salve into the area, waiting until it was absorbed into the skin before beginning a low-muttered spell.

It was a long process. We were standing there a good while before I started to see the black just… _lift_ from the ink, a stark white revealed beneath it, accented by a pale blue. I was confused but a moment before spotting another patron across the room paying for their service, deep red workings running down their arm. Ah… the colour changed depending on the type of magic. The designs of both Law's and that other human's tattoos differed greatly, so perhaps that played a part as well…

It made sense, elves lending their abilities to humans. The two species had always done close trade back in the day so I could easily see their partnership spreading to the exchange of magics and wealth.

After Law paid he approached us, slipping his arms back into the sleeves of his robe, his eyes roving over the both of us and our luggage. "Are we broke now?"

I shook my head with a sigh. " _No_ , Trafalgar, we're not. I happen to be a very good consumer."

"He asked me for help," Kidd confessed, sticking out his tongue when I shot him a betrayed glare. _Brat_.

Law snorted, starting out of the shop and nodding for us to follow. "I figured as much."

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing."

I didn't press further. The bickering between the two started up again—mostly on Kidd's side, as Law was quick to ignore him—and I drowned it out as I eyed the white markings on Law's forearms peeking out from beneath his sleeves. So much of his skin was covered, and I had to wonder… "Hey, Law?"

"Hm?" He glanced over at me.

"You gain magic with every tattoo you get, yeah?" He narrowed his eyes but affirmed my suspicions with a nod. "Then what happens when you run out of room?"

He shrugged. "I still have my face, and parts of my legs."

I sighed. That wasn't what I was asking...

* * *

I've never understood humans. Watching them come and go, live and die. It's always been this consistent, eternal cycle that plays across the generations and they all remain unaware, unknowing of just how abruptly all of it would end. No, no, that wasn't it… They were aware. They grieved the lost, celebrated the lives of the deceased in order to see them into whatever afterlife they believed in, and then… moved on. I wondered _how_ they could move on. I wondered how they could continue with their lives day-to-day quietly, casually, without the knowledge of their impending death looming over them like a crushing weight.

I often found myself ruminating during the late hours of night when the human and boy were asleep. I would sit on one of the outcroppings watching the sky, never minding the grey cloud cover blocking out the stars, and I would wait for sunrise. Human form or not I didn't need sleep, really—and I _certainly_ didn't dream—and sometimes this could be a nice alternative to slipping back into Otherworld and watching from there. It was fun to be a part of it all rather than a silent observer… or something. I don't know. Maybe I'm just being dramatic, or sentimental.

Every once in awhile I found company. It came in the form a tall, dark-skinned man with tired eyes that refused sleep. Trafalgar Law was a strange human in the way he worked without rest for hours on end, and sometimes those hours became days, and those days saw the bags under his eyes deepening. So I wasn't surprised when amidst my wandering thoughts I found him sitting beside me on the outcropping with an offering of tea—coffee for himself, of course. I accepted, never to question just why he insisted on going without sleep. Instead I focused on the warmth in my hands, pleasant against the chill of the winter air. We were both bundled in those fur coats of his… Our attempts to find anything as warm back in town fell flat; apparently despite being so close to a snowy region they, themselves, only had use for light attire. Alright, that was pretty understandable, considering no one had entered my territory in so many years…

We drank slowly, savouring the tastes and each other's company as we stared outward. There was a storm peeking out over the horizon, one that would reach us by morning, I was sure.

"You mentioned spring used to come," Law commented, the statement more a casual observation than pure curiosity.

I nodded, lips curling into a smile. "While the humans were here I had the power to bring warmer seasons. I could do it now, maybe, but it would take what little I have left."

"Their offerings gave you strength."

"I'm as powerful as my people need me to be. I think."

He let out a soft snicker, tapping his nail against the rim of his mug. "Not very sure of anything, are you?"

"Mother never explained," I shrugged, "so I've figured things out for myself. I may be a god but even _I_ can make mistakes."

"Your mother?"

I raised an eyebrow. Trafalgar had never really taken much interest in me outside of my claim of being the mountain god. Well, no one had, really. So it took me a moment to actually think of a way to answer; it wasn't as simple a question as it sounded. Eventually I just pointed to the sky.

He looked intrigued. "Oh?"

I shrugged, not really sure how else to explain it, and rose to my feet, tipping my mug upside down in show of its emptiness. "Should we get more?"

He looked at his own mug before allowing the subject to drop, nodding and following me back through the mountain to the kitchen for refills. As I sipped at my tea I caught him staring my way more than once, which just wasn't at all like him. Law was being particularly odd that night, and I wondered if sleep deprivation was to blame.

"You don't look like a mountain god," he observed as he lowered himself to the kitchen table.

"O-oh?" I cursed myself for stuttering. That would be _Law's_ fault, not mine.

Law hummed, resting his head in his palm as tired eyes bore into mine. I wasn't sure why it was making me so unnerved… "Should you not resemble your mountain?"

"And how do you suppose I do that, Trafalgar?"

He thought. It was when his tired expression turned to one of surprise that I stormed from the room in search of that damn hand mirror, and the moment I found it I studied my reflection hard in order to see just what had changed.

My hair was white, my skin pasty. That, I suppose, was so that I would resemble the snowy mountaintop… Law was a surprisingly simple man.

I sighed, not really bothered by the change as I dragged myself back to the kitchen and plopped down in the chair across from Law. A part of him wanted to ask, I could see it in the way he was looking at me, and I spared him the trouble of having to say it himself. "I'm the visualisation of my people's thoughts. I get my physical form from them."

He nodded silently, finishing his coffee and rising from his seat. Damn it, I'd just sat down. "I have potions to tend to. Would you like to assist?"

I looked up at him, head cocked to the side. Well… that was new. Never before had Trafalgar Law asked me to help him with his work. Hell, god or no I didn't think he trusted me all that much. He was a very… _cautious_ man, to put it lightly. No one was allowed to touch his work—rarely did he even tolerate people in his _lab_.

I grinned and nodded, following him down the hall. Watching him work was fascinating—partially because I'd never seen the process before meeting him, and partially because he usually didn't _let_ me watch. But this time he wanted me to work with him. After checking on the current brew he sat down beside me, showing me step by step how to ground herbs. _That_ , at least, was familiar. My humans had done it all that time ago for medicines and salves, and the process hadn't really changed. It was embarrassing to admit that I was proud for picking up on something so simple so quickly.

We fell into a bit of a silent trance, both of us working separately in the lab. Law was measuring out ingredients for… something-or-other. I didn't bother to ask. I found myself watching him as I ground the herbs into a paste. Law was human. One day he'd die just like the rest, a fact I'd been aware of ever since he first arrived in my lands.

Damn it.

But my mind was brought back to my contemplation from earlier. Law was a healer. Out of all humans he understood death in the most intimate of ways. But I couldn't just outright _ask_ him about his thoughts on death. That would be… rude, right? So I asked the next best thing. "Why did you become a healer?"

I caught him glance my way for the briefest of moments before getting back to his work. "To help the sick."

"You don't own a practice."

"I don't like people."

"More than help them, you just sell them medicine that—"

" _That_ is helping them." The dull glare he sent my way had my lips sealing shut. Alright, okay, maybe that was a _bit_ ruder than intended. Moreover I was veering away from what I really wanted to know.

I chose my words carefully over a period of silence. "Why… did you want to help them?"

Law stopped measuring to stare at the table. It lasted just a second before he moved on to mixing the ingredients and beckoning me close to hand over the paste. He scooped it up, dumping it into a small boiling pot before nodding to me to get back to work. And soon to follow, softly-spoken words.

"Life is unfair."

* * *

 **To my lovelies~**

 **Rayany Amor: I'm glad you find it unique, that's always my goal with these types of fics ;v;/ I won't give spoilers about the ending but I will say that I do hope you guys like it, it was reeeally hard to write and I'm just a little bit proud of it XD**

 **Dutchess-Of-Dirt: Law does EVERYTHING on purpose honestly XD**

 **Blackthorn Ashe: Sabo's appearance is based mainly on the perception of his people, which in this case is just Law and Kidd. Buuuut his appearance does change over the course of the story~**

 **sarge1130: Yes, exactly! The hare form was because of the prominent presence of arctic hares on the mountain. They were an important source of game for the former mountain residents and were considered sacred, and then stories of their god taking on that form to watch over them grew in popularity and bam, Sabo's a bunny XD So yes, your guess was correct! You're very welcome hun~**

 **Move-2-da-beat-femme: Awww you're sweet thank you ;v;/**

 **horizonproblems: OP-fantasy is my lifeblood. I will never stop writing it, you hear? Never! I actually do have a lot more of the world built up than necessary though, and I could probably continue the story past the ending with a whole bunch more exploration if it wasn't unnecessary XD There are a lot of different creatures I headcanon for it.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading as always, and feel free to let me know what you thought!**

 **Adieu~**


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